A NURSING home featured in a bombshell RTE Investigates expose had almost 200 notifications of allegations of abuse of patients since January 2022, it has emerged.
An interim report from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) into the two nursing homes featured in the documentary found there were major concerns over one of the facilities in question.
The harrowing programme recently uncovered a litany of care failings and neglect of vulnerable older residents at The Residence Portlaoise, in Co Laois, and Beneavin Manor, in Glasnevin, Dublin.
Both are run by Ireland’s top private nursing home provider Emeis Ireland, which has apologised for the failings.
It has now emerged that there were 198 notifications of an “allegation, suspected or confirmed of abuse to a resident” in the Beneavin Manor, according to the report.
There were 40 notifications of allegations of abuse at The Residence Portlaoise since December 2023.
The report said a high number of notifications “does not necessarily indicate a non-compliant service, and often means a strong culture of recognising and submitting incidents which fall into the required notification categories”.
It also said the types of notifications of abuse, known as “NF06” notifications, are required “where there is a suspicion or allegation of abuse, which may or may not be substantiated, and can include a wide range of incidents such as residents’ altercations with other residents, the tone that someone is spoken to, through to more significant suspicions or allegations.”
HIQA said: “A high number of notifications received from a service does not necessarily indicate a non-compliant service, and often means a strong culture of recognising and submitting incidents which fall into the required notification categories”.
It added: “It is important to note that NF06 notifications are required where there is a suspicion or allegation of abuse, which may or may not be substantiated, and can include a wide range of incidents such as residents’ altercations with other residents, the tone that someone is spoken to, through to more significant suspicions or allegations.”
The authors of the report carried out a series of unannounced inspections of both nursing homes featured in the recent RTE Investigates programme following the broadcast on June 4.
